If given a choice between a challenging start and an immensely positive one, NFL teams will always take the latter.
Sure, there are lessons to be learned in failure. Winning lots of games is also, you know, the object of the sport. Win games, clinch a playoff berth and attempt to make a Super Bowl run.
But as a game isn't decided until the final whistle, a postseason trip isn't official until a team has enough wins. During the last two decades, however, many hot-starting teams have offered a clear and painful reminder of that lesson.